Seahawks 2021 Draft Profile: Elijah Moore

As the Seahawks' needs begin to whittle down around their roster, receiver is one that could still use quite a bit of work. With a deep draft class on the way, perhaps an elite speedster with a connection to their top wideout could fall into their laps.

The Seahawks haven’t experienced many losses this offseason, but the departure of starting slot receiver David Moore has shaken up their depth chart quite considerably. With Phillip Dorsett also on his way out, Freddie Swain is the team's lone wideout seemingly locked into a roster spot behind the star tandem of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. After Swain, you’ll find five pass-catchers with no NFL game experience to speak of signed to reserve/future contracts.

Quite honestly, to say depth is needed would be an understatement. For some time, however, depth wasn’t the only factor in the Seahawks’ receiver search; perhaps it still isn’t. Finding a future starting receiver to eventually pair with Metcalf appeared to be of importance only a few days ago. 

Prior to signing a four-year, $69.2 million extension with $37 million guaranteed earlier this week, Lockett was entering the final season of his contract. As Metcalf also gets set to negotiate a new deal of his own next year, there was a legitimate thought Lockett could very well depart the Pacific Northwest soon—either at the end of 2021 or in a trade this offseason to allow Seattle the opportunity to offload his then $14.9 million cap hit and accumulate some much needed draft capital. Instead, the front office decided to commit to him long-term and will almost certainly do the same with Metcalf a year or so from now.

While that may diminish their desire to make another long-term investment in a receiver - as in, using their lone top-100 pick in the draft on the position - they still need more weapons. Tight end Gerald Everett is the only receiving option the team has brought in this offseason. Other than that, they’ve put the majority of their focus into their offensive and defensive line units.

Though the possibility of signing someone like Antonio Brown still lingers, the 2021 NFL Draft is stockpiled with receiving talent from top to bottom. Therefore, it would seem unwise to come away with nothing from this class given the Seahawks’ need at wideout, even with limited resources and a plethora of other areas to address. While they may opt to wait it out until the later rounds, this receiver class is so deep that potential first-round talents could possibly fall to Seattle’s first pick at No. 56 or beyond. One of those names is Elijah Moore—a former teammate of Metcalf’s at Ole Miss with wheels for days.

Strengths

Moore has made a name for himself as of late, clocking in at 4.32 on his 40-yard dash at Mississippi’s Pro Day last week. This elite speed has translated well to sustained success in one of the toughest conferences in the nation - the SEC - as the three-year man put up 2,441 yards and 16 touchdowns on 189 receptions in his collegiate career.

While Moore excels in taking the top off opposing defenses, perhaps his biggest strength is his ability to create after the catch. He accelerates well in and out of his breaks, quickly eludes trailing defenders, and has NBA-level jukes to put forward-facing tacklers on skates. He’s a good improviser with - and without - the ball in his hands—a great match for a quarterback who makes his money after the play breaks down, as well as an offensive scheme that thrives on the short and intermediate game.

He’s an excellent route runner with a firm grasp on the entire tree. There’s consistency in his hands, which haul in just about everything thrown his way with relative ease. And as soon as the ball hits his palms, he’s gone.

Moore can be a legitimate dynamic threat at the NFL level. It would be a waste not utilizing his extraordinary speed and athleticism on sweeps and in the return game, even though he didn’t do much of either at Ole Miss. Still, it may be unfair to simply refer to him as a receiver; with all these tools at his disposal, he’s a potential do-it-all, pure skill player.

Weaknesses

Size has been the one big flaw attributed to Moore in the draft process. At his Pro Day, he measured in at 5-foot-9, 178 pounds with 9^3/8-inch hands and a 71^3/4-inch wingspan. Albeit on rare occasions, his smaller build and lack of physicality was exposed at times in college.

If defenders can stay in line with him, it won’t take much to tackle him. Stronger corners can knock him off his spot and impede his acceleration. At that point, Moore is at a severe disadvantage, especially on go routes, if he’s forced to win one-on-one fights for the ball.

While he’s solid at pinpointing the ball and has decent hops for his size, he’s not going to be coming out of many of those scenarios with a reception against the lengthy defensive backs of the NFL. And when those corners press him at the line, it’ll be an uphill climb for him to factor into the play. He’ll need space to get going and work into his route, and I don’t see that changing unless he finds a way to get more physical against the handful of talents that will be able to keep up with him step-for-step.

Fit in Seattle

Moore’s Pro Day performance quite possibly pushed him out of the Seahawks’ range, even with the depth in this receiving class. He was incredibly impressive in every facet of his workout, in which he showed off the very best of his skillset from his stellar route running to game-breaking speed.

If he does fall to them, however, it would seem to be a match made in heaven. Moore is a true slot receiver, which they need, and has all the tools the Seahawks tend to covet at the position. His ability to pick up yardage after the catch would be a massive upgrade for a team that's significantly lacked in that department. 

The potential for him in the sweep game would be an excellent fit in new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme, and he could take the burden of return duties off key starters like Lockett and cornerback D.J. Reed while giving the team more upside than a player such as running back Travis Homer.

Pairing Moore with the star talents of Metcalf and Lockett sounds like a potential nightmare for opposing defenses, giving quarterback Russell Wilson a third additional burner to operate with. Mix in the high ceiling of Everett out of the tight end position and the sky may be the limit for the Seahawks’ offense with Moore involved.